Effects of connecting a scattered solar generation unit to the grid on the cloud passage using optimization algorithms

Abstract

Today, limitation of fossil fuel resources and other issues such as the possibility of the depletion of fossil energy reserves, global warming, environmental pollution, price instability, and the growing need for industrial and urban centers for energy have prompted the international community to seek appropriate alternatives. Such examples are nuclear energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, wind energy, and ocean waves. Renewable energy is generated owing to the simplicity of the applied technology compared to nuclear energy technologies. On the other hand, such energies play a key role in new energy systems in the world similar to nuclear waste. The increasing use of renewable energies has given rise to significant complications. One of the main operational issues in this regard is the uncertainty of electricity generation by solar power plants, which is caused by the passage of clouds. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of cloud passage on the production of solar power plants. Initially, a control system was designed to control a high-penetration solar power plant in the network, and the maximum allowable percentage of penetration was calculated for different loads. For this purpose, three algorithms (DE, PSO, and ICA) were used to determine the MPPT of the solar arrays in shady conditions, as well as the MPPT point of the solar arrays. According to the results, the colonial competition algorithm was faster compared to the other algorithms.